HomeWorld Census 2018: Stick Goods Cleaning Up

This is part three of a special, six-part web series showcasing exclusive data and analysis from the HomeWorld Business Housewares Census 2018. This series, sponsored by The National Hardware Show, examines the retail sales performance of housewares categories that play a prominent role in the home improvement retailing channel. Scroll through charts by clicking on the arrow icons. Click here to receive the complete HomeWorld Business Housewares Census 2018.

Spin mops, for example, which offer easy cleanup and storage, have gained traction in the market. This year the segment overcame string mops, according to the 2018 Forecast survey, as the next most likely mop purchase for respondents. The survey showed 31.7% of respondents prefer spin mops versus 26.7% of respondents favoring string mops.

The stick goods category has also gained traction among consumers who associate a healthy home with a clean home. Stick goods that utilize disposable cloths/pads saw resurgence in consumer interest as they offer an easy way to remove unwanted dirt and debris from the home, vendors noted. In fact, the Forecast survey saw cleaning tools with disposable cloths/pads overtake the standard broom as respondents’ next most likely overall stick good purchase in the coming year.

Quality, performance and price remain top concerns for consumers when considering a stick goods purchase. Consumer price expectations have shifted for the category in the past year. For example, consumers expecting to pay the lower pricepoints such as less than $5 decreased while those expecting to pay the mid-range pricepoints such as $15 to $19.99 increased. Consumers are seemingly willing to pay more for quality and durability than in the past.

Due to the growth potential of the category, vendors have put forward efforts to bolster product development and consumer education. Some vendors have revamped their websites with e-commerce and consumer reviews in mind. Others looked to grow both through acquisition. In addition, with the increasing popularity of social media as a source for reviews and product information, many vendors launched social specific marketing campaigns.

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Editor-in-Chief Peter Giannetti previews this week’s 2020 Retail Champions edition, an adaptation of the long-running HomeWorld Business Retailer Of The Year issue. This special report details how six key retailers— Amazon, Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot and Kroger— are positioned to lead the post-COVID rebuild of what is expected to be a dramatically realigned retail landscape.
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